After Deadly Assault, ISIS Group Deploys Psywar Video
By Luka Binniyat and Mike James Odeh
(Abuja) – The Nigerian Army has retaken Ngoshe town, a Christian-majority settlement in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, after the town was overrun either by Boko Haram or by Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) on Wednesday morning. However, another army base in Kukawa town, Kukawa LGA, about 180 miles north of Ngoshe, was fending off another attack by Boko Haram that began early Monday morning, March 9, 2026, according to multiple news outlets.
The insurgents launched coordinated attacks on four military camps in Borno State —specifically Mainok, Jakana, Marte and Konduga from Thursday night March 5 until early Friday morning, March 6, according to several media.
The town of Ngoshi – battered and overrun early on March 5 – is empty of civilian residents, yet the Nigerian military has retaken the town, according to Senator Ali Ndume, speaking in an exclusive chat with TruthNigeria in Abuja on Monday (9th March 2026).
TruthNigeria has reported the attack with grim casualties against soldiers and civilians, mostly Christians.
The ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram insurgency, known for the large-scale kidnapping of Chibok school girls in 2014, beheaded four soldiers and several civilian residents of Ngoshe to traumatize social media users. Their tactics are recognized as a salient form of “Fifth-generational warfare,” a form of conflict deploying information, guided perception and lurid media aimed at undermining state legitimacy.
Two days ago, the Boko Haram terror group paraded what looked like child terrorists dressed in army camouflage, drawing concerns about the sustenance of terror ideology among kids.
A video has surfaced online showing children, appearing to be between ages 7–10, dressed in oversized military camouflage and hats, lined up in an unknown location. The video, which first appeared on Sahara Reporters’ website, is said to have been posted by Boko Haram, purporting to show that it was training child terrorists for future attacks.
There has been no verified information about the video.
“It is true that Boko Haram attacked Ngoshe and other places between Tuesday and Wednesday and caused a lot of havoc,” Sen. Ndume told TruthNigeria.
“The army has, however, returned and dealt with them, chasing them out of the town since last Thursday,” he said.
“We have a battalion in Gwoza. It is not far. So, the military has retaken Ngoshe and the Nigerian army is fully in control now,” he added.
“But the civilian population has left. They are now in Pulka, about 7 miles east of Ngoshe,” he said.
Nigeria Army Disputes Casualty Figures
Following media reports about Tuesday and Wednesday’s coordinated attacks by Boko Haram Islamist terror groups on multiple military targets in Borno State, the Nigerian Army on Sunday affirmed the attacks but disputed the casualty figures.
Though it affirmed the death of a commanding officer in the attacks, it did not give the numbers of troops killed, weapons seized, and equipment or structures destroyed.
“The Nigerian Army has noted with concern a report published by Sahara Reporters alleging that over 40 soldiers were killed during recent terrorist attacks in parts of Borno State,” reads the statement signed by Lt. Col. Uba Sani, Media Information Officer.”
“The [Sahara Reporters] report, which relied largely on unverified sources, presents a distorted account of the incident and fails to reflect the gallant efforts of troops who bravely defended communities against coordinated terrorist assaults,” according to the statement, which was posted on the X handle of Nigerian Army Headquarters (@HQNigeriaArmy.
“The attacks on the multiple communities occurred when remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists, who had earlier been dislodged from the Sambisa Forest during sustained offensive operations by troops, regrouped and launched coordinated night attacks from multiple directions on vulnerable communities and troop locations around Konduga, Ngoshe, Mainok and Jakana general areas,” the statement explains.
“The troops on the ground responded swiftly and fought gallantly to repel the terrorists and defend the affected communities,” the statement adds.
“During the intense engagements, a few terrorists were neutralized. Sadly, a commanding officer and some brave soldiers paid the supreme price while courageously confronting the attackers and preventing further devastation in other communities,” says the statement without giving details.
Kukawa, located near Lake Chad, has long been a hotspot for insurgent activity due to its proximity to remote islands and cross-border routes used by militants.
Military authorities have not released a formal statement on the Kukawa attack as of the time of filing this report.
Experts Give Hindsight
However, security analysts who spoke to TruthNigeria on Monday gave their hindsight on the video showing children dressed in adult camouflage uniforms:
“The video is evidence of deliberate long-term force regeneration by Boko Haram,” said Prof. Emmanuel Musa of the Department of Criminology, Niger State University, Lapai, to TruthNigeria on Monday.
“The use of children aged roughly 7–10 in military attire suggests an attempt to institutionalize indoctrination at an early age, ensuring ideological loyalty and operational continuity.
“Training minors also indicates the group is adapting to sustained military pressure by cultivating a new generation of fighters who can be groomed for surveillance, logistics, and eventual combat roles,” he added.
“Strategically, this development signals a shift toward protracted insurgency planning, where child recruits become both propaganda tools and future operatives, complicating counter-insurgency efforts and raising serious humanitarian and security concerns,” he said.
Another security expert, Col. Aliyu Danbaba (rtd) of SignWell Security Consult, Abuja, told TruthNigeria Monday that he views the footage as “a psychological warfare and recruitment strategy designed to project resilience despite battlefield losses.”
“By displaying children in uniform, Boko Haram may be signaling that it possesses a deep recruitment pipeline and enduring ideological influence within vulnerable communities.
“Such imagery can intimidate local populations and undermine confidence in state protection.”
Luka Binniyat and Mike James Odeh write on politics and conflict for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
